Rugby FC Los Angeles (RFCLA) is an American professional rugby union team based in Los Angeles, California, that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team began play in 2020 as Rugby ATL, based in Atlanta, Georgia, but announced they would relocate to Los Angeles for the 2024 season, under new ownership.
History
Rugby ATL
On September 21, 2018, Major League Rugby announced that Atlanta was one of the expansion teams joining the league for the 2020 season.1 The team name "Rugby ATL" was revealed on February 26, 2019.2 The team was unofficially known as the Rattlers and in 2021 an alternate logo with a rattlesnake was unveiled.3 Rugby ATL played its first three seasons at Lupo Family Field on the campus of Life University in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta. The field was damaged by flooding in September 2021 and the team moved to Silverbacks Park ahead of the 2022 season.4
Following the death of their original team owner, S. Marcus Calloway, the ownership of the team was placed into an investment group, acquiring control of the franchise on an interim basis. The move kept Rugby ATL operational, until a permanent ownership group was acquired in 2023.5
Rugby FC Los Angeles
On August 2, 2023, Major League Rugby announced that Rugby ATL would be relocating to a yet-to-be announced location for the 2024 season.6 On August 17, it was announced the team would relocate to Los Angeles. On December 21, it was announced that the team would be renamed to Rugby FC Los Angeles, abbreviated to RFCLA.78 This marked the return of Major League Rugby back to Los Angeles since the removal of the former LA Giltinis in October 2022. On the same day, it was announced that RFCLA would play out of Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA.
Sponsorship
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Other Shirt sponsor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Canterbury | None | None |
| 2020–2023 | Paladin Sports | Barbour Orthopedics and Spine | None |
| Terrapin Beer Co.Body Armor Sports Drink |
Roster
For player movements before and during the 2024 season, see List of 2023–24 Major League Rugby transfers § Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles squad for the 2025 Major League Rugby season is:9
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
- Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
- * denotes players qualified to play for the United States on dual nationality or residency grounds.
- MLR teams are allowed to field up to ten overseas players per match.
Head coaches
- Scott Lawrence (2020-2022)
- Stephen Brett (2022–2024)
- Stephen Hoiles (2025-)
Assistant coaches
- Stephen Brett (Attack, 2020–2021)10
- Blake Bradford (2022–)
Captains
- Matt Heaton (2020–present) (co-captain)
- Ryan Nell (2020–present) (co-captain)
Records
Season standings
| Season | Conference | Regular season | Postseason | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/− | BP | Pts | Pld | W | L | F | A | +/− | Result | |||
| Rugby ATL | |||||||||||||||||||
| 202011 | Eastern | 5th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 116 | 110 | +6 | 4 | 12 | - | - | - | - | - | - | Cancelled | |
| 2021 | Eastern | 2nd | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 420 | 321 | +99 | 13 | 57 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 40 | -13 | Won East Conference Final (Rugby United New York) 10–9Lost Major League Rugby final (LA Giltinis) 17–31 | |
| 2022 | Eastern | 2nd | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 468 | 340 | +128 | 11 | 57 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 26 | -7 | Lost East Conference Eliminator (Rugby New York) 19–26 | |
| 2023 | Eastern | 5th | 16 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 355 | 428 | -73 | 6 | 28 | - | - | - | - | - | - | Did not qualify | |
| Rugby Football Club Los Angeles | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Western | 6th | 16 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 367 | 473 | -106 | 10 | 32 | - | - | - | - | - | - | Did not qualify | |
| Totals | 69 | 34 | 2 | 33 | 1,726 | 1,672 | +54 | 38 | 158 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 46 | 66 | -20 | 2 postseason appearances | |||
404 Rugby (2019)
Rugby ATL started with an exhibition side, called 404 Rugby. From September to November 2019, 404 Rugby played exhibition matches against Mystic River, NYAC, Old Blue, and USA Rugby men's club champions Life University.12
2019 roster
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
|
|
2019 season
All games in the 2019 season were exhibition games and did not count in the MLR standings.
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 7 | Mystic River | Away | Pine Banks | 50–25 |
| September 14 | Old Blue | Home | Lupo Family Field | 45–6 |
| September 28 | New York Athletic Club | Away | Travers Island | 42–17 |
| October 5 | Life University | Away | Lupo Family Field | 22–21 |
| October 12 | New Orleans | Away | Gretna Park | 55–24 |
| October 19 | Old Blue | Away | Columbia Soccer Stadium | 17–25 |
| November 2 | New York Athletic Club | Home | Lupo Family Field | 66–7 |
| November 9 | Life University | Home | Lupo Family Field | 30–18 |
2020 season
On March 12, 2020, MLR announced the season would go on hiatus immediately for 30 days due to fears surrounding the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic.13 It was cancelled the following week14
Regular season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 9 | Utah Warriors | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Won, 28–19 |
| February 16 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Gold Mine | Won, 22–10 |
| February 23 | Rugby United New York | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Lost, 19–22 |
| March 1 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Lost, 18–28 |
| March 8 | Old Glory DC | Away | Cardinal Stadium | Lost, 29–31 |
| March 22 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Cancelled |
| March 28 | Austin Gilgronis | Away | Round Rock Multipurpose Complex | Cancelled |
| April 5 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Cancelled |
| April 10 | Rugby United New York | Away | MCU Park | Cancelled |
| April 19 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Lamport Stadium | Cancelled |
| April 26 | San Diego Legion | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Cancelled |
| May 2 | Colorado Raptors | Away | Infinity Park | Cancelled |
| May 10 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Cancelled |
| May 17 | Old Glory DC | Home | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Cancelled |
| May 23 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Aveva Stadium | Cancelled |
| May 30 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Union Point Sports Complex | Cancelled |
2021 season
Regular season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Won, 21–14 |
| March 27 | Old Glory DC | Away | Lost, 23–30 |
| April 3 | San Diego Legion | Home | Won, 41–22 |
| April 11 | Rugby United New York | Home | Lost, 17–27 |
| April 17 | Austin Gilgronis | Away | Lost, 15–17 |
| April 24 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Won, 38–28 |
| May 9 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Won, 33–29 |
| May 15 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Won, 33–18 |
| May 23 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Won, 25–6 |
| May 29 | LA Giltinis | Home | Won, 17–12 |
| June 5 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Won, 8–7 |
| June 13 | Rugby United New York | Away | Lost, 24–31 |
| June 19 | Houston SaberCats | Home | Won, 33–15 |
| June 26 | Old Glory DC | Home | Won, 32–12 |
| July 10 | Utah Warriors | Away | Won, 41–31 |
| July 18 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Lost, 19–22 |
Post season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 24 | Rugby United New York | Home | Won, 10–9 |
| August 1 | LA Giltinis | Away | Lost, 17–31 |
2022 season
Regular season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 5 | Old Glory DC | Home | Won, 55–22 |
| February 12 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Won, 14–9 |
| February 19 | Rugby New York | Home | Lost, 31–36 |
| March 5 | Houston SaberCats | Home | Won, 29–22 |
| March 12 | Austin Gilgronis | Home | Won, 29–14 |
| March 20 | Old Glory DC | Away | Won, 27–13 |
| March 26 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Lost, 27-41 |
| April 2 | Toronto Arrows | Away | Won 20-14 |
| April 9 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Won, 34-17 |
| April 24 | San Diego Legion | Away | Won, 30-17 |
| April 30 | LA Giltinis | Home | Lost, 19-31 |
| May 7 | Utah Warriors | Away | Lost, 26-44 |
| May 13 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Lost, 10-15 |
| May 22 | Rugby New York | Away | Won, 38-3 |
| May 28 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Won, 34-23 |
| June 3 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Won, 45-19 |
Postseason
See also: 2022 Major League Rugby playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Eliminator | June 11 | Rugby New York | Home | Lost, 19–26 |
2023 season
Regular season
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 17 | Toronto Arrows | Home | Silverbacks Park | Won, 17–10 |
| February 24 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Starfire Sports Complex | Lost, 28–22 |
| March 4 | NOLA Gold | Home | Silverbacks Park | Won, 29–16 |
| March 18 | San Diego Legion | Home | Silverbacks Park | Lost, 10–35 |
| March 25 | Houston SaberCats | Away | SaberCats Stadium | Lost, 40–28 |
| April 2 | New York Ironworkers | Away | Memorial Field | Lost, 31–20 |
| April 8 | Old Glory DC | Home | Silverbacks Park | Won, 35–27 |
| April 15 | NOLA Gold | Away | The Gold Mine | Won, 23–7 |
| April 22 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Veterans Memorial Stadium | Lost, 23–13 |
| May 6 | Chicago Hounds | Home | Silverbacks Park | Won, 27–12 |
| May 12 | Toronto Arrows | Away | York Lions Stadium | Draw, 34–34 |
| May 20 | Dallas Jackals | Home | Silverbacks Park | Lost, 27–19 |
| May 27 | Utah Warriors | Away | Zions Bank Stadium | Lost, 28–12 |
| June 2 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Silverbacks Park | Lost, 35–14 |
| June 10 | New York Ironworkers | Home | Silverbacks Park | Lost, 39–24 |
| June 17 | Old Glory DC | Away | Segra Field | Lost, 36–28 |
Notes
External links
- Official website
- Rugby United New York 31-24 Rugby ATL (photo gallery) at Rugbychampagneweb
References
"Major League Rugby confirms Boston and Atlanta for 2020 – Americas Rugby News". www.americasrugbynews.com. September 21, 2018. http://www.americasrugbynews.com/2018/09/21/major-league-rugby-confirms-boston-atlanta-2020/ ↩
"ATLANTA'S NEW MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY TEAM PICKS A NAME". USMLR.com. February 26, 2019. https://www.usmlr.com/news/atlantas-new-major-league-rugby-team-picks-a-name/ ↩
"Rugby ATL unveil new logo for 2021 season". Americas Rugby News. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2023. https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2020/08/09/rugby-atl-unveil-new-logo-for-2021-season/ ↩
"Rugby ATL relocate to Silverbacks Park for 2022". Americas Rugby News. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2023. https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2021/12/06/rugby-atl-relocate-to-silverbacks-park-for-2022/ ↩
"Major League Rugby's Atlanta Team to Relocate". Major League Rugby. Retrieved 2023-08-03. https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/major-league-rugbys-atlanta-team-to-relocate/ ↩
"Major League Rugby's Atlanta Team to Relocate". Major League Rugby. Retrieved 2023-08-03. https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/major-league-rugbys-atlanta-team-to-relocate/ ↩
"Major League Rugby Officially Announces Rugby FC Los Angeles for 2024". Major League Rugby. https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/major-league-rugby-officially-announces-rugby-fc-los-angeles-for-2024/ ↩
"Major League Rugby Officially Announces Rugby Football Club Los Angeles for 2024". Rugby FC LA. Retrieved 22 December 2023. https://rugbyfcla.com/major-league-rugby-officially-announces-rugby-football-club-los-angeles-for-2024/ ↩
"RFC Los Angeles". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 12 January 2025. https://www.americasrugbynews.com/competitions/2025-major-league-rugby/mlr-2025-rfc-los-angeles/ ↩
"Rugby ATL adds Stephen Brett to coaching staff". Americas Rugby News. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2022-02-24. https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2020/12/31/rugby-atl-adds-stephen-brett-to-coaching-staff/ ↩
2020 regular season shortened and playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. /wiki/COVID-19_pandemic ↩
"Schedule". http://www.404rugby.com/schedule/ ↩
Anonymous, "MAJOR LEAGUE RUGBY SUSPENDS 2020 SEASON FOR 30 DAYS," www.majorleague.rugby, March 12, 2020 Retrieved March 14, 2020 https://www.majorleague.rugby/news/major-league-rugby-suspends-2020-season-for-30-days/ ↩
"Major League Rugby cancels remainder of 2020 campaign". Yahoo! Sports. AFP. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020. https://sports.yahoo.com/major-league-rugby-cancels-remainder-2020-campaign-144516941--spt.html ↩